Jhonatan Narváez accuses Richard Carapaz of pressuring Ecuador's Ministry of Sport to attend the Olympic Games

Ecuador's Ministry of Sport has responded to the Ecuadorian Cycling Federation, which announced a few days ago that the rider who will go to the Olympic Games, because the country only has one representative, will be the one who gets the most UCI points in 2024.

Richard Carapaz was upset, as reigning Olympic champion, saying that Jhonatan Narvaez is already too many points ahead of him and would not be able to compete or defend his title this summer in Paris. It is clear that the Federation is with Narvaez, while the Ministry supports Carapaz.

This is the statement issued by the Ministry of Sport of Ecuador on the matter:

"Regarding the only quota that the country has in cycling, for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and in order to avoid the violation of rights, safeguard the institutionality and ensure the proper issuance of regulations, the Ministry of Sport announces the initiation of a thorough investigation to clarify the actions of the Ecuadorian Cycling Federation (FEC), before what happened with our Olympic champion Richard Carapaz."

"In addition, while the due process is being managed, this State portfolio will formally request the FEC to postpone for a new date the publication of the name of the cyclist who will represent us in the Olympic Games in France, initially considered for May 26."

"As a government institution, we ratify our commitment to the welfare of all our athletes and we ensure strict compliance with current legal regulations. In the event of non-compliance with the provisions of our legal system, we will act without contemplation in accordance with the Sports, Physical Education and Recreation Law."

"Our participation seeks to avoid setting a negative precedent for Ecuadorian sport, as it would call into question the transparency of a process that should reflect fairness, equity and integrity, affecting the individual rights of our athletes who deserve ethical and respectful treatment."

"As the governing body of sport at the national level, we urge the FEC and all organizations in the country to act in strict accordance with the Law, without bias or favoritism, socializing their initiatives in a timely manner and efficiently transmitting their decisions, thus guaranteeing the welfare of the federated members."

"We have said it from day one: the law is for everyone and it is there to be complied with."

The INEOS Grenadiers rider was quick to respond, implying that Carapaz is pushing for him to be taken, despite having fewer UCI points.

"Mr. Minister Andrés Guschmer Tamariz. Greetings from Italy. Faced with the recent pronouncement of Ministry of Sport, I need to express my position, asking that they respect my rights as well and requesting that any decision taken be in favor of the best representation of the country and free of pressure."

Where Ecuador can have more than one representative is at the World Championships, where both should be the main assets of the country to fight for something important. We will have to see how this situation affects the relationship between the two riders.

Article written by Victor Gonzalez.